Episodios

  • Episode 15: Meetings That Don't Suck with Michael Kaplan

    Episode 15: Meetings That Don't Suck with Michael Kaplan
    Apr 28 2025
    In this episode of The Huge Insider Podcast, Michael Kaplan breaks down how team meetings, when done right, can drive culture, mission alignment, communication, and motivation across an entire organization. Instead of boring status updates, great meetings reinforce your company’s purpose, deliver key information, cascade leadership messages, and celebrate success. You'll walk away with actionable tips on how to plan your meetings with purpose, inject energy into the room (think "Black Betty" as a hype song), and engage your team so they leave energized and informed. If you want your team rowing in the same direction—toward growth and excellence—this episode gives you the blueprint. Show Notes Guest Michael Kaplan Home service entrepreneur since 2006 Scaled a carpet cleaning business to over 150 employees and eight figures in revenue Resources Mentioned Downloadable Action Guide The Huge Insider Newsletter Signup Foundations Platform Free Trial The Huge Mastermind Info Page Facebook Group Huge Convention Tickets August 20–22, 2025, in Nashville, TN Transcript Sid Graef: Welcome back to the Huge Insider Podcast. Hey, my friend, it's Sid Graef here, and the Huge Insider is the show for home service professionals that are striving to break the million-dollar revenue mark. And if that's you, you're in the right place. If you're already over a million dollars in revenue, you will get even more out of this show. So we want to help you skip the BS and get real wisdom from experienced business builders. We've gathered wisdom and insight directly from seven- and eight-figure business owners, people who are running companies that do anywhere from 2 million a year to 40 million a year, and we're bringing you their best insights, all focused on one single topic each month. And these are real owners. They're not armchair philosophers or fake gurus. These are the ones that are quietly building empires behind the scenes. They're not on social media looking for attention. They're in business actually making things happen. So last month we focused on hiring A-players, and this month we answered the question, what do you do once you hire the right person? You've got onboarding, pay structure, training, safety, and much more. And today's topic is team meetings and the value of team meetings. So you're about to hear from Michael Kaplan. Michael Kaplan built a strong eight-figure carpet cleaning business in the Midwest, and he knows about team meetings because they had over 150 employees and they had to get everyone on the same page week after week after week. So he goes into a lot of detail about what a good team meeting needs to be successful and why it's important. You know, most businesses treat team meetings as an afterthought or skip them altogether and just assume that everybody knows what to do and where they need to be. Last thing before we dive in, we've got a downloadable action guide for you for this episode, and it's available at thehugeinsider.com. So with that, let's dive into it. Michael Kaplan: Hello, podcasters. My name's Michael Kaplan. I've been a home service entrepreneur since 2006, and I drew the short straw. So I get to talk to you about team meetings, and actually, I'm a bit of a team meeting nerd, so maybe it's not a super short straw. But most people groan and hate the prospect of having a team meeting because most meetings suck. And no offense, your meetings probably suck. Mine have too, and I've got a couple of tips here to help you think through how to make your meetings suck less or maybe even accomplish a couple of goals. So think about the tone of the meeting as much as the content of the meeting. How you deliver the message matters almost as much as the message. And similarly important, think really hard about how much you're trying to accomplish. Less is more, and the risk of overextending is real, and you'll dilute the message if you do overextend. So you've got the full team there. How are you going to set the tone? I always think upbeat. Get people kind of rocking going into the meeting. Think, you know, Ram Jam, "Black Betty" — that's always been my go-to. Have a clear agenda and don't stuff it too full, but for me, a successful meeting's going to tick all these boxes: It's going to reinforce culture. It's going to cascade a message from the leadership team. It's going to reinforce the mission. It's going to transfer information. And it's going to celebrate success. So let me unpack those real quick. On reinforcing culture: you are not in front of your whole team every day, at least not in this manner. So fill their buckets, remind them their why, why they show up, why they love each other, what's great about the company, what's special. Like it might be feedback from a customer that you're relaying. There are any number of ways to do it, but really think about what you guys stand for and how you can transfer that throughout the meeting. You want to ...
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    10 m
  • Episode 16: Beyond Day One - Onboarding That Builds Loyalty with Liz Trotter

    Episode 16: Beyond Day One - Onboarding That Builds Loyalty with Liz Trotter
    Apr 23 2025
    In this episode of the Huge Transformations Podcast, Liz Trotter flips the script on traditional onboarding. Forget stuffing forms into Day One—real onboarding is about connection, clarity, and belonging. Liz walks us through how onboarding should begin the moment the offer is accepted—not the moment they walk through the door. From sending pre-start welcome kits to scheduling intentional one-on-ones, this is the people-first playbook for retaining great hires from day one. If you're tired of the revolving door of new hires or want a smoother, more human onboarding system, this episode is your roadmap. What You’ll Learn: Why onboarding starts before Day One The emotional goal of onboarding: connection + clarity What to send before their first shift to reduce anxiety How to create a first-day experience that builds loyalty What kind of conversations to have in week one to build trust Pro Tip: Onboarding isn’t a checklist—it’s how you bring people into the soul of your business. Downloadable Action Guide The Huge Insider Newsletter Signup Foundations Platform Free Trial The Huge Mastermind Info Page Facebook Group Huge Convention Tickets August 20–22, 2025, in Nashville, TN Transcript Sid Graef: Welcome back to the Huge Insider Podcast. Hey, my friend, Sid Graef here, and The Huge Insider is the show for home service professionals that are striving to break the million-dollar revenue mark. And if that's you, you're definitely in the right place. If you're already above a million dollars, you're going to get even more out of the show. So we want to help you skip the BS and get real wisdom from experienced business builders. We've gathered wisdom and insight directly from seven- and eight-figure business owners—people who are running companies that do anywhere from 2 million a year to 40 million a year. We bring you their best insights, all focused on a single topic each month. These are real business owners. They're the ones actually quietly building empires behind the scenes, so they're in business making things happen. Now, last month we focused on hiring A-players, and this month we answer the question: what do you do once you hire the right person? The first thing you do is you onboard them. And not just with a list of tasks and forms to sign, but by embedding them into the soul of your company culture. That’s exactly what today’s guest, Liz Trotter, is here to teach us. Liz is a true business rockstar with several seven-figure businesses. She owns them—she's not running the day-to-day. So anytime Liz speaks, I listen carefully and take notes. In this episode, she’s going to walk us through not only an onboarding checklist but also a deeper onboarding philosophy. Let’s dig in, and remember, there’s a downloadable action guide for this episode at thehugeinsider.com. Liz Trotter: Hey all, Liz here. I want to talk to you a little bit about onboarding today. The idea behind onboarding might be a little different than what you're used to. Most people think onboarding is just what you do on day one—uniforms, legal forms, job description talks. And sure, you need to do that stuff, but that’s not onboarding for success. Onboarding should start the minute someone accepts your job offer. You want to begin embedding them into your company culture before they ever walk in the door. That might look like sending them a job description, expectations for behavior, and even a "favorites list" to help you connect on a personal level. Clarity reduces anxiety, so the more prepared and informed your new hire feels, the better they’ll perform. Let them know how success is measured in the role—even if it’s just a brief overview. You can dive into details later, but start with transparency. Day one should include a warm welcome. Whether it’s a welcome kit with their name on it, a Slack introduction, or a name up on the board, make sure they feel like they belong. Introduce them to the team, and start giving them context around how their work contributes to your company’s big-picture mission. Schedule one-on-ones early and often. Reduce the anxiety of the unknown by telling them what to expect in those meetings. And when mistakes happen, focus them on the future. Show them that the best is yet to come. If you follow this onboarding approach, you won't just gain a new employee—you’ll nurture loyalty, performance, and a sense of purpose right from the start. Sid Graef: Okay, so what did you learn about onboarding? More importantly, what are you going to do with it? The action guide simplifies this whole process and is ready for you to download at thehugeinsider.com. As always, subscribe to our free newsletter, The Huge Insider, for weekly insights. Join the Facebook community, and grab your tickets for The Huge Convention, happening August 20th through 22nd in Nashville, Tennessee. This is the last time we’ll be in Nashville for a while, and prices go up on...
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    15 m
  • Episode 14: Safety & Certifications with Sheila Smeltzer

    Episode 14: Safety & Certifications with Sheila Smeltzer
    Apr 21 2025
    Safety training isn’t box‑checking—it’s profit, people, and peace of mind. Host Sid Graef interviews Sheila Smeltzer (President, A+ Pro Services and former IWCA president) about building a bullet‑proof safety culture for home‑service firms. Sheila explains why OSHA 1910 rules matter, how a single four‑foot drop can cost six‑figure fines, and why ladder incidents alone send 200,000+ workers to the ER every year. Her framework is simple: Know the law. OSHA 1910 Subpart D (walking‑working surfaces) and Subpart I (PPE) govern most field work. Use qualified trainers. Hire or outsource a qualified person who can certify employees and document everything. Systemize it. Flag hazards in your CRM (e.g., ServiceTitan), create written Job Hazard Analyses and Safety Work Plans, and re‑train annually. Document or it didn’t happen. Clear, signed records slash liability and keep crews—and profits—intact. The takeaway: a documented, repeatable safety program protects lives and margins better than any marketing hack. Show Notes Guest – Sheila Smeltzer, President, A+ Pro Services (window cleaning & exterior maintenance, NC) – https://aplusproservices.com/ A+ Pro Serivces | (910)-754-2263 Host – Sid Graef, Huge Insider Podcast – https://thehugeinsider.com References & Links Mentioned OSHA 1910 General Industry Standards – https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910 Subpart D – Walking‑Working Surfaces – https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910SubpartD Subpart I – Personal Protective Equipment – https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910SubpartI International Window Cleaning Association (IWCA) Power Washers of North America (PWNA) Expert Safety Services / Safety Advocate App ServiceTitan field‑service CRM Call‑in line to share your story – (804) 600‑4843 Resources The Huge Insider newsletter signup The Huge Insider podcast downloadable action guide Foundations platform 1‑month trial The Huge Mastermind info Huge Foundations Facebook group Transcript SID GRAEF: Welcome back to the Huge Insider Podcast. Hey, my friend, it’s Sid Graef here. The Huge Insider is the show for home‑service professionals who are striving to break the million‑dollar revenue mark. If that’s you, you’re in the right place, and if you’re already over a million dollars of revenue, congratulations—you’re going to get even more out of this show. We want to help you skip the BS and get real wisdom from experienced business builders. That’s why we’ve gathered wisdom and insight directly from seven‑ and eight‑figure business owners—people running companies that do anywhere from $2 million a year to $40 million a year—and we’re bringing you the best insights. It’s all focused on one topic each month, and these are real owners. There are no arm‑chair philosophers or fake gurus. These are the people quietly building empires behind the scenes; they’re not on social media looking for attention—they’re in business making things happen. Last month we focused on hiring A‑players. You can’t build your dream without people, so you’ve got to have the right people. This month we answer the question, What do you do once you hire the right person?—on‑boarding, pay structure, training, and more. And today’s topic is safety training. You’re about to hear from Sheila Smeltzer. She owns a thriving window‑cleaning business in North Carolina and has been the president of the IWCA—the International Window Cleaning Association. She goes into a lot of detail today about what safety training needs to be successful. And it’s funny, because most service businesses treat safety training as an afterthought. They make jokes like, “Just be careful—if you fall, you’re going to be fired before you hit the ground.” Safety’s not a joke; it requires planning, diligence, and repetition so that you can keep your people safe, because there really is no window that needs to be cleaned or Christmas light that needs to be hung that’s worth having someone on your team—or yourself—get badly injured or killed. Sheila’s going to dive into it. Before we do, we’ve got a downloadable action guide for you, and it’s available at The Huge Insider. As always, I’m thankful that you’re here. Get ready to learn from Sheila Smeltzer—let’s get into it. SHEILA SMELTZER: Hey everyone, this is Sheila Smeltzer, today’s contributor to the Huge Transformation Podcast, and we are talking about a not‑so‑fun topic today, but something that is absolutely crucial to protecting the liability of your company—safety: safety standards, training, and certifications. Now, this topic is near and dear to my heart. I have served on the board of directors for the International Window Cleaning Association—I’m the immediate past president—and ...
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    24 m
  • Episode 13: A Smart, Scalable Training System for New Hires with Liz Trotter

    Episode 13: A Smart, Scalable Training System for New Hires with Liz Trotter
    Apr 15 2025
    In this episode of the Huge Insider Podcast, host Sid Graef dives into the critical topic of onboarding and training new employees with insights from expert guest Liz Trotter. Liz breaks down the essential steps in creating a simple, effective training structure that’s built on clarity, consistent feedback, and hands-on experience. From setting clear success benchmarks for each training phase to offering “feed-forward” coaching instead of backward-looking critiques, Liz’s approach keeps your new hires confident, motivated, and ready to excel. These strategies help ensure new employees quickly become competent, enthusiastic contributors to your business, benefiting service-based professionals looking to streamline operations and bolster team performance. Show Notes Guest: Name: Liz Trotter Background: Nearly 30 years of experience, owns a seven-figure house cleaning business, a training business, and a large real estate portfolio. Key Topics Covered: Importance of clear benchmarks (day-by-day success criteria) Hands-on training to build confidence and competence Using “feed-forward” instead of focusing on past mistakes Segmenting training into phases for measurable progress Assigning a buddy or mentor for new hires Resources The Huge Insider newsletter signup The Huge Insider podcast downloadable action guide The Foundations platform trial offer The Huge Mastermind info page Facebook The Huge Convention Live event in Nashville, TN (August 20–22) Call in with questions or stories: (804) 600-HUGE (804-600-4843) Transcript Sid Graef (Host): Welcome back to the Huge Insider Podcast. Hey, my friend, this is Sid Graef here. The Huge Insider is the show for home service professionals who are striving to break the million-dollar revenue mark. If that's you, you're in the right place, and if you're already over a million dollars in revenue, you're gonna get even more out of this show. So why is this the show? Well, there are a lot of people online and around the world with big opinions and very little experience. There are even some fake gurus out there. We want to help you skip the BS and get real wisdom from real, experienced business builders. So we’ve gathered wisdom and insight directly from seven- and eight-figure business owners—people running companies doing anywhere from 2 million a year to 40 million a year, and some more—and we're bringing you their best insights, distilled and focused on a single topic each month. And these are real owners, no armchair philosophers or fake gurus. These are the ones that are quietly building empires behind the scenes. They're not on social media looking for attention; they’re in business making things happen. So last month we focused on hiring A-players. The whole month was about hiring. And this month we answer the question: What do you do once you hire the right person? You've got onboarding, pay structure, training, and more. So today we’re diving into training. We have a very special guest contributor, and that is Liz Trotter. Liz has been in business for almost three decades and owns a seven-figure house cleaning business as well as a training business, plus a large real estate portfolio. She’s been in the game for a long time, and she’s one of the best when it comes to onboarding and training your employees. She demystifies and simplifies the training process. But why is training for a new employee so important? Because the training establishes the foundation of how that person is going to operate and perform in your business, hopefully for a long, long time. So without further ado, let’s dive in. Meet Liz Trotter. Liz Trotter (Guest): Hey all. Liz here, and I have got some training tips for you. Now, I’m not going to tell you how to train your people—that’s up to you—but what I am going to talk to you about today is how to build some things into your training program so that you have more success, so that your people feel like they are very good at what they do. If people don’t feel like they’re good at what they’re doing, they’re not going to do good work, period. So you need to make them feel like they are doing good work. You need to also make them feel like they can do it, and that they’re very confident about how to get the job done. Now, these things sound really obvious, I know, but they don’t just happen automatically. And they don’t only happen because the person gets good at what they’re doing and then builds their own confidence. You already know that, right? There are some people who, no matter how well they’re doing, they always knock themselves, they always find something wrong. Your job is not to do that. Your job as the trainer—or to build a good training program—is to make sure that the training program is built so that it highlights what is going well and diminishes what is not going well. Now, it also has to be really clear how we are going to cut people, ...
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    16 m
  • Episode 12: Performance Based Pay pt. 2

    Episode 12: Performance Based Pay pt. 2
    Apr 10 2025
    In this episode of the Huge Insider Podcast, host Sid Graef and guest Jared Skinner discuss how to create performance-based pay structures that motivate and reward high-achieving employees without sacrificing quality or compliance. You’ll learn about the importance of setting clear standards, understanding legal requirements (like the 7(i) exemption), implementing base pay combined with commission, and establishing guardrails to maintain quality. By tracking performance with dashboards and scoreboards, you can “gamify” your team’s efforts and ensure everyone is incentivized to perform at their best. These insights are especially valuable for service-based business owners looking to improve profitability, increase employee retention, and maintain high-quality services. Show Notes Guest: Name: Jared Skinner Owns multiple seven-figure businesses (window cleaning, concrete coatings, holiday lighting) Topics Covered: Why performance-based pay boosts production The 7(i) exemption and legal requirements Combining a base hourly wage with commission Setting guardrails to ensure service quality Tracking and displaying performance metrics (gamification) Resources (Mentioned & Essential): The Huge Insider newsletter signup The Huge Insider podcast downloadable action guide The Foundations platform trial offer The Huge Mastermind info page Facebook Group The Huge Convention tickets and info Call in with questions or stories: (804) 600-HUGE (804-600-4843) Transcript Sid Graef (Host): Welcome back, my friend, to the Huge Insider Podcast. My name is Sid Graef, and this is the Huge Insider Podcast. It is the show for home service professionals that are striving to break the million-dollar revenue mark. If that's you, you're in the right place. Now, if you're already over a million in revenue, guaranteed, you're gonna get even more out of the show. So why do we say this is the show? There are a lot of people with big opinions and not so much experience. There's a lot of fake gurus out there, and we want to help you skip the B.S. and get real wisdom from experienced business builders. That's why we've gathered wisdom and insight directly from seven- and eight-figure business owners. These folks are running companies doing anywhere from two to forty million dollars a year. We bring you their best insights and experiences, all focused on a single topic each month. These are real owners—no armchair philosophers or fake gurus. They've done it. These are the ones quietly building empires behind the scenes. They're not on social media looking for attention; they're in business making things happen. Last month, we focused on hiring A-players. This month, we answer the question: What do you do once you hire the right person? When you get your A-player, what do you do about onboarding, pay structure, training, and more? Today, we're diving back into performance-based pay: how do you structure your pay plan to reward, motivate, and retain high performers? You're gonna meet Jared Skinner today. Jared owns a window cleaning company, a concrete coatings company, and a holiday lighting company, and they're all seven-figure companies. He probably owns more than that, and I don't even know about it. But remember, the goal here is to structure your pay in a way that is motivating to your employees and profitable for your company. This can be a tricky tightrope to walk. Everything Jared talks about is in the show notes. Just to be clear, he’s not an attorney or a tax professional—he’s a business owner speaking from experience. If there's a specific tax or legal question that comes up, talk to a professional. That said, the last thing before we dive in: we’ve got a downloadable action guide for you, and it’s available at thehugeinsider.com. With that, let’s dive into today’s topic. Jared Skinner (Guest): Everyone, welcome to the Huge Insider Podcast. Today, I'm gonna talk a little bit about pay for performance. There are a lot of different ways to structure pay scales in order to get paid for performance, and a lot of times we don't know exactly how to structure it or if there are rules for it or how it works. I kinda wanna give everyone a little bit of an overview of this structure. Just to lay the foundation: when we first started, we always paid an hourly rate. The problem I always had was employees would come to me saying, “Hey, I think I need a raise.” I'd look at their performance and say, “Man, if you would clean more windows in a day, then I can pay you more.” And they'd say, “Well, if you pay me more, I'll clean more windows.” It just seemed like this battle over and over—trying to figure out how much people were worth and how much we could pay them. We decided to shift into a performance-based pay structure, more of a commission base. Once we decided to do that, our employees instantly made an extra four to five dollars more per hour as soon as we shifted, and their ...
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    16 m
  • Episode 11: Performance Pay for Techs with Ethan Moore

    Episode 11: Performance Pay for Techs with Ethan Moore
    Apr 7 2025
    🎧 Podcast Summary: “Why I Love Performance-Based Pay”

    Speaker: Ethan Moore, Moore Exteriors (Branson, MO)

    Ethan Moore explains the benefits of switching from hourly pay to performance-based (commission-style) pay for technicians. In his system, lead techs earn a flat 20% of the daily revenue from the jobs they complete. This incentivizes speed, efficiency, and quality, because techs earn more when they do more. For example, if a technician like Larry completes $1,000 worth of work in a day, he earns $200. If he becomes more efficient and completes $2,000, he earns $400.

    This model encourages:

    • Efficiency: The faster a job is completed (without sacrificing quality), the more the tech can do—and earn.

    • Ownership: Techs see a direct link between effort and income.

    • Company Growth: More work gets done per truck and per day, increasing capacity and profits.

    Show Notes:

    • Resources:

    • Elevate by Tommy Mello
    • The Huge Insider newsletter signup
    • The Huge Insider podcast downloadable action guide
    • The Foundations platform trial offer
    • The Huge Mastermind info page
    • Facebook
    • Call-in line to share wins or lessons: 804-600-HUGE (4843)
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    11 m
  • Episode 10: Hiring - Interview Keys

    Episode 10: Hiring - Interview Keys
    Apr 7 2025
    In this episode, host Sid Graef continues with the month’s main theme: hiring. He introduces Jim DuBois, a seasoned business owner from “Squeegee Pros,” who’s spent over 25 years building a 45-plus-employee team. Jim shares his strategies for creating a company culture that naturally attracts and retains A-players, from designing compelling job ads and hosting engaging hiring events to filtering out uncommitted applicants who don’t fit his team’s mission. His core takeaway: Build a great company first, and great employees will come. If you need to expand your workforce with high-quality team members, Jim’s approach offers fresh tactics and valuable clarity on how to stand out as a top-tier employer. Show Notes Guest: Jim DuBois, Owner of Squeegee Pros (Window Cleaning/Pressure Washing, ~45 employees) Key Topics: Crafting “magnetic” job ads aimed at your ideal candidate demographics. Hosting hiring events that reveal real A-players through engagement and Q&A sessions. Emphasizing the importance of presenting a business that top talent wants to join. Using your company vision, culture, and “unique selling propositions” to attract and retain the best employees. Mentioned: Squeegee Pros (no direct link provided) WindowWashingWealth.com (Jim’s high-level coaching company; URL mentioned only in passing) Resources The Huge Insider newsletter signup https://thehugeconvention.com/insider The Huge Insider podcast downloadable action guide http://www.thehugeinsider.com The Foundations platform trial offer https://thehugeconvention.com/1foundationstrial The Huge Mastermind info page https://www.thehugemastermind.com/interest Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/hugefoundations Transcript Sid Graef (Host): Welcome back to the Huge Insider Podcast. Hey, my friend, it’s Sid Graef here, and The Huge Insider is the show for home service professionals that are striving to break the million-dollar revenue mark. So if that’s you, you’re in the right place. And if you’re already over a million dollars in revenue, you’re gonna get even more out of this show. So why is this the show? It’s not your typical podcast. It’s not an interview show. It’s not an expert-driven show. Instead, what we’ve done is we’ve gathered wisdom and insight directly from seven- and eight-figure business owners—people that are running companies doing anywhere from 2 million to 40 million dollars a year in revenue. And we’re bringing you their best insights, all focused on a single topic each month. These are real owners; there are no armchair philosophers and no fake gurus. These are the ones that are quietly building empires behind the scenes. They’re not on social media looking for attention; they’re in business, making things happen. So it’s still the month of March, and we’re wrapping it up. We’ve been diving deep all month long into hiring. If you have a big dream, you’re not gonna build it by yourself—you have to hire people to carry it out and build a team. And today, you’re gonna hear from Jim DuBois. He’s been on this show and shared with us one other time, but Jim is in South Carolina—or, well, maybe North Carolina (forgive me, Jim)—and he’s got a window cleaning company. He’s been in the business for over 25 years, he’s got over 45 employees, and they hire people all the time. They’re constantly screening for great talent. So he’s going to share his experience and how he separates the wheat from the chaff—how he finds A-players and how he sorts them out. Everything he talks about in the show is in the show notes. Everything we discuss on the program is in the show notes, and we have a downloadable action guide for you regarding this episode available at thehugeinsider.com. So let’s get into it. Jim DuBois (Guest): I’m Jim DuBois with WindowWashingWealth.com—my high-level coaching company—and Squeegee Pros, which is my window cleaning/pressure washing company. Forty-five employees make up that company. So today’s Huge Insider tip has to do with the hiring process and dialing in the interview itself. It’s a very powerful process when implemented. The problem is, so many will miss the mark on properly recruiting, and they can’t gain the needed traction to grow. The thing is, you need good employees that stay with you if you’re gonna get to the next level in your company. Most, well, they have a revolving door and they continue to struggle. They get frustrated, and some even put their hands up and say, “You know what, I’ll just go back to doing it myself.” Have you ever felt that way before? I know I have—way back in the day. So you’re gonna have to know how to find good employees, and then know how to keep them. That’s what we’re gonna talk about here over the next few minutes. And what I want you to do—I want you to imagine that I just flew out to your city, and I say, “Hey, meet me at the nearest hiring ...
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    16 m
  • Episode 9: Hiring - Ads, Budgets, and Targeting

    Episode 9: Hiring - Ads, Budgets, and Targeting
    Apr 7 2025
    In this episode, host Sid Graef focuses on valuable hiring insights from expert consultant Chris Dexter, a veteran at recruiting in various trades (HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and more). Chris explains how to set a hiring budget, effectively use job posting platforms (like Indeed and BetterTeam), and automate the screening process with tools such as Calendly. He also highlights creative strategies like multi-location job postings, open-house group interviews, and tapping into trade schools. The key takeaway? Building a strong hiring system—complete with a dedicated budget, scheduled phone interviews, and a clear focus on culture—will help you attract and retain the A-players you need to grow past the million-dollar mark and beyond. Show Notes Guest: Chris Dexter (private consultant with extensive hiring experience) Mentioned Resources & Tools: Indeed: https://www.indeed.com/ BetterTeam: https://www.betterteam.com/ Calendly: https://calendly.com/ Local trade schools and academies Other Key Resources (always included): The Huge Insider newsletter signup https://thehugeconvention.com/insider The Huge Insider podcast downloadable action guide http://www.thehugeinsider.com The Foundations platform trial offer https://thehugeconvention.com/1foundationstrial The Huge Mastermind info page https://www.thehugemastermind.com/interest Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/hugefoundations Transcript Sid Graef (Host): Welcome back to the Huge Insider Podcast. Hey, my friend, it’s Sier, the huge insider, and this is the show for home service professionals who are striving to break the million-dollar revenue mark. That’s you—you are in the right place, and even if you’ve already gotten over a million-dollar revenue, well, you are gonna get even more out of the show. So why do I say this is the show? This is not your typical podcast. It’s not an interview show. It’s not an expert-driven show. Instead, what we’ve done is we have gathered wisdom and insights directly from seven- and eight-figure business owners—people that are actually running companies that are doing everywhere from 2 million a year to 40 million a year. And we bring you their best insights, all focused on a single topic each month. These are real owners—there’s no armchair philosophers or fake gurus. These are the ones quietly building empires behind the scenes. They’re not on social media looking for attention; they’re in business, and they’re making things happen. So we’re wrapping up the month of March, and it’s all about our main subject, which is hiring. Today you’re gonna hear from Chris Dexter. Chris has been the CEO, he has been the owner, he has been the partner, and now he’s a private consultant. He has been responsible for hiring hundreds, if not thousands, of technicians in electrical, HVAC, plumbing—the trades, the home services. So he knows his stuff, and I asked him, “What are your best practices for attracting and then hiring A players? How do you get them to come to you? How do you sort out the A players from everybody else?” And this is what he had to say. We’re about to get started. I just want to let you know everything we talk about, or that Chris talks about, is in the show notes as well as our action guide based on this week’s episode. So with that, let’s get into it. Chris Dexter (Guest): First of all, thank you, Sid, for asking for my input regarding hiring techniques. I’ll keep it brief. When customers first retain my services for human resources counseling, hiring—you name it—I always ask ’em the same question, and I get a number of different responses, but one is overwhelming. I ask them, “So, what’s your budget for hiring?” Employers often tell me, “The most important thing we do, or the most important thing we can do right now, is hiring.” And when I ask how much their budget is for it, they typically don’t have one set aside. I’m not certain if they don’t know how to create a budget for it or if they’ve measured it in the past. I’m not certain, but I think it’s fairly easy to put together, and there are some ways to control the budget as well. Indeed can be really expensive, especially if you go with their advice. You post an ad on Indeed, and it says, “Hey, in your marketplace, you should spend $65 a day.” That’s just terrific—letting the vendor tell you how much they should charge you. I think it does work, but you certainly don’t have to take that advice. But first things first—definitely have a budget. Make this part of your scorecard if you’re keeping a scorecard in some sort of business management setting, so that you know how much you’re spending. But let’s just dive right in. Indeed is the biggest and best platform out there. You can access it for free or spend 20, 30, 60 dollars a day, and you will get results. There’s automation: responding to candidates, keeping good records, viewing resumes, et...
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